Olympia Family Theater marries meaning with whimsy in its first post-COVID season

In its 2022-2023 season — its first full season since the pandemic closed theaters — Olympia Family Theater will put a modern twist on storybook classics, introduce audiences to dragons, explore racial injustice, and revisit Wonderland.

The season, announced Friday, June 10, promises both playful touches, including elaborate puppets created by String & Shadow Puppet Theater, and stories drawn from a variety of cultures and perspectives.

“There’s a variety of multicultural pieces in the season, but I’m hoping that that becomes more of a norm than a theme,” said Lily Raabe, the theater’s artistic director. “It really matters to me that we always have a diversity of stories and perspectives represented.”

The season, the first full one since Raabe began leading the theater in October, includes shows that will inspire conversations about healing from grief and loss (“The Secret Garden,” adapted from the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett), the environment (“Garden” and “The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus”) and racial justice (“Something Happened in Our Town”).

Sources of inspiration for the season include children’s literature classics (“Garden” and “Alice in Wonderland”), contemporary books (“Something Happened” and “Dragons Love Tacos”) and myths, legends and folk tales (an original Winter Solstice show and “Cactus,” which incorporates a clever coyote).

Even the most familiar stories — “Alice,” which was the first show the theater produced, and “Garden” — will be both classic and original, with new scripts and puppets by String & Shadow, the theater’s first company in residence.

The puppet troupe, led by Emily McHugh and Donald Palardy, is working with Raabe to develop the season’s other world premiere: the as-yet-untitled Solstice show.

Raabe, who’ll direct “Alice,” has enlisted the help of creative talent from across the country.

Mabelle Reynoso of Chula Vista, California, who co-wrote one of the “Fully Vaxxed” plays the theater produced this spring, is updating “Garden” and moving it to the Pacific Northwest.

And this season’s “Alice” will be a musical created by Raabe and frequent creative collaborators Lavinia Roberts of Conway, Arkansas, and Ahmed Alabaca of Chicago, with whom she’s developed many shows over the past decade.

“We’re going to keep all the characters people know and love and the music and magic and wonder,” Raabe said, “but we want it to have just a smidge of a message.”

Olympia Family Theater’s 2022-2023 season

• What: The theater will produce its first full season since the 2019-2020 season was cut short by COVID-19.
• Where: Olympia Family Theater, 612 Fourth Ave. E, Olympia
• Tickets: Available on a sliding scale beginning Aug. 15
• Memberships: $180 per year. Memberships include a ticket to each main stage show, two flex tickets so members can bring guests to a show of their choice, free access to first rehearsals and more.
• More information: 360-570-1638, http://olyft.org

The shows

“The Secret Garden” (Sept. 30-Oct. 16): Mabelle Reynoso, who collaborated on the “Fully Vaxxed” plays, is writing a Northwest update of the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic. String & Shadow Puppet Theater will create the garden. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

“Dragons Love Tacos” (Nov. 4-20): Dragons have a party in this comic play based on the 2013 picture book by Adam Rubin. Recommended for ages 3 and up.

Original Winter Solstice play (Dec. 9-24): String & Shadow and Olympia Family Theater are collaborating on an as-yet-untitled solstice adventure inspired by myths and folk tales. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

“Something Happened in Our Town” (Feb. 10-26): This play, based on a 2018 book, follows two friends and their families — one white and one Black — as they navigate the aftermath of a police shooting. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

“The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus” (March 17-April 2): This adventure story, about a group of friends who encounter a well-dressed coyote, explores humans relationship with the planet. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

“Alice in Wonderland” (May 5-21): This new musical version of the classic, being created for Olympia Family Theater, will explore how a child navigates the sometimes nonsensical world of adults. String & Shadow’s puppets will play a prominent role. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

Also at Olympia Family Theater

Tales Told in 10: A 24-Hour Play Festival (April): The popular festival, which gives local playwrights and directors 24 hours to write, create and stage short plays, is returning.

Classes and camps: The theater offers after-school classes and camps during school breaks for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Auditions: 5:30-8:30 p.m. July 12 and 13

This story was originally published June 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM.